Alive
by silverwell
Summary: Tunaak gets shot in the chest and is bleeding internally after trying to heal his own wound. As his wife watches him die, his Kaldorei "brother" hurtles on scene to join them. Can he be saved, or will the expecting father die before his childs birth?
1. Alive: Tunaak

**Author's Note:** This was coined from a Role-play that actually happened on the server I play on. Character names weren't changed, and the paladin in purple with the cane is Aurric, as his name isn't mentioned in this piece of the story. There's a second piece, from Civardi's view, and I will ask his permission before posting his.  
Enjoy!

**Alive**  
Tunaak stood to stretch his sore legs, flexing his tail behind him as his body ached all over from the day before. The plate chestpiece , greaves and pauldrons creaked around his body in a quiet defiant chorus against the movement. The head of his large, ever-trusty ax rested on the wood floor, hilt propped against the edge of the table between Tunaak and the wall. The Pig 'n' Whistle tavern in Stormwind's Old Town district wasn't too busy that night. Suitable for the large Draenei, as he wasn't in the mood to stick out in the crowd. It proved difficult to do, however, as he was only one of two Draenei in the tavern, the rest of the numerous patrons being a few Kaldorei, a handful of Gnomes, and a good number of Dwarves and Humans.  
Ignoring the rest of the tavern, Tunaak settled back down on his chair, having to adjust his rump in the seat meant more for those without a writhing appendage. Finally finding his previous, albeit slightly uncomfortable position, his tail curled around his waist and over his lap. Elly the Barmaid, a decent looking Human before Tunaak's eyes, came around to refill his mug of sweet nectar. She seemed ragged, having been swiftly roving the tavern trying to keep the patrons content. A few barked to her rudely, most drunk, yelling for another drink. She passed Tunaak's table quickly, the stoic Draenei being the only occupant. The two other seats remained empty, but Tunaak took pleasure in a moment of loneliness now and then in spite of being surrounded by all the other patrons.

A distinct voice that spoke his name caught Tunaak's ears. He perked slightly, looking up as a beautiful Kaldorei Priestess spoke in her gentle and serene voice, "Hello, Tunaak."  
She beamed warmly, approaching Tunaak's table. To Tunaak's curiosity, she seemed to glow a little more this day. Perhaps it was the Priestess' training that caused this, the Mother Moon Elune's gentle glow that radiated almost unnoticeably from her.

Nodding sagely, Tunaak smiled to her, "Welcome, Wynn. Will you join me?" His two chin appendages dangling from the back of his jaw splayed slightly in the motion as the two in front gently slipped over the red chestpiece.  
Civardi, the Kaldorei that Tunaak considered a close brother, was a lucky man to have such a wonderful woman to wed. The Draenei would even admit to being a little jealous if he wasn't already taken.

Just as Wynn claimed one of the empty seats, Tunaak's eyes met a young human woman covered in bruises, and bruises on top of bruises. She stood near the entrance on the ground floor, at the railing and looking out at the patrons with a smug grin. Wynn eyed Tunaak briefly before craning her head to follow his gaze. She eyed the human carefully. Though it was one of the duties of a Priestess to heal and tend to the wounded, not every wound need be healed.  
Before Wynn could act, Tunaak stood to his hooves, body aching and wracking defiantly to disobey. He pulled out a few coins for the drinks, placing them neatly on the table. With an apologetic look to Wynn for the abrupt departure, he hefted his ax on the hook at his back, and strode casually down the stairs. The Priestess tilted her head curiously at him, standing and following.

Stepping up to the railing, the young woman leaned on the railing, letting her cleavage show shamelessly. Bruises new and old dotted her fine, smooth skin, mostly from unrecognizable blows. Many looked painful, but with so many, they nonetheless all had to hurt.  
Though not a healer, Tunaak could still wield the Light with enough ease and efficiency to mend cuts, seal wounds, and ease bruises.

Tunaak nodded politely to the human as Wynn casually lingered at the end of the stairs. Elly and a few wandering patrons passed between Wynn and Tunaak occasionally, but not so many that would disturb what would transpire.  
The human smiled, still very smug. She peered at Tunaak, eyed him judgingly, and warmed her smile to the Draenei. She adjusted so that his eyes could easily slip downwards to adore the cleavage that seemed to nearly pop out of her shirt, but he didn't waver his gaze from her eyes.

"Miss, do you need healing," Tunaak offered the woman, raising a gauntleted hand over his chest as an act of genuine compassion. His face remained relaxed, letting no emotion escape his features or gently glowing cyan eyes.

Smirking and smacking her tongue against her teeth, she replied contently, "Ah, a healer are we? Sure, sugar. Though I'd prob'ly get a new beating for it anyway."  
Tunaak blinked at her, trying not to show his annoyance. So that's what caused the bruises. She was beaten.  
Grasping his right gauntlet in his left hand, he removed it. He took a breath, and releasing it slowly, the Light flickered and danced about on his exposed hand. The Light was a stark contrast to his dark skin. He gently laid the hand over one of hers, and concentrated the Light to heal her bruised skin. His eyes flickered golden briefly, and was finished in a moment.

The woman didn't move. She remained where she was, cleavage exposed as the smug smile returned to tug her lips, "Thanks, sugar." She eyed him briefly, "So… What is with the face tendrils, anyways? Do they stimulate you sexually?"  
As she spoke she reached over and tugged one of Tunaak's chin tendrils, rolling her thumb over the slender and soft tissue. The Draenei's tail whipped up at an awkward angle and curled downwards stiffly, nearly whacking a passing patron across the back. Grimacing, Tunaak grasped the hand over his tendril and breaking the woman's unwanted contact.

Frowning, Tunaak eyed the wench sternly. "Please do not touch," he blinked as his tail slowly returned to its rhythmic bobbing behind him.

Rolling her shoulders, her sleeves inching down her shoulders, the wench never lost her smug smile as she added, "I'd even offer you a discount, sugar."  
A discount? Did she just offer herself to the Draenei! Wynn's eyebrows raised and she couldn't help but snicker quietly behind a raised hand.  
A flicker of agitation must have escaped Tunaak's stoic features. Two men had slowly inched their way near the two, gone unnoticed in the number of patrons that hid them. They eyed Tunaak cautiously, thinking their guild-woman's deal may make a worse turn. Each had a blade at their belt, ready to draw in the event that they need to defend their guild-mate.

Whether or not she wanted to react to the agitation, the wench didn't get the opportunity. Tunaak snorted rudely as his tail flicked behind him in annoyance. He turned away, heading for the door as Wynn blinked before elegantly trailing the dark blue, muscular figure.

Around the corner, Wynn spoke up, "Tunaak…" She hesitated, not quite sure how to appraise the noble Paladin.  
Pausing, Tunaak turned to gaze at Wynn. Though still clearly agitated, Tunaak could not bring himself to lash out at Wynn in any way. She was, after all, the soon to be wife of his close brother. He regarded her as a sister, and loved her as much as a sibling could.  
Tunaak sighed softly, lowering his gaze to the cobblestone street as his eyes radiated apologetically.

With a sudden start from the both of them, two figures dashed into view. The wench from the Pig tripping over herself as a large human male skidded to a halt. The wench whined as she picked herself up and dusted off her loose clothing. She turned to face Tunaak, Wynn, and the large man on the other side of them. A crossbow, a bolt with jagged edges cocked in the string, lay carelessly at her feet.

The man spoke first as he pulled out a pistol, aiming for the wench's left leg. He snickered, "You need to be taught a lesson in going around challenging others to fight, wench!"  
He fired the pistol in his hand, the bullet entering the wench's leg as she cried out in pain. Tunaak cringed. If anything happened to Wynn, Civardi would have his hide as a new hat! The Draenei bolted to the other side of the duelers' line of site, turning to shield Wynn as he tried nudging her away from the fight.

The wench kneeled on her good knee, clutching and raising the crossbow in between sobs. She picked up the weapon to aim at the man. He still held his pistol, still smirking, "You got one shot there, wench. Make it worthwhile!"  
Her hands trembled around the crossbow, aiming hesitantly. As Tunaak nudged Wynn away, he suddenly found the street suddenly far too narrow for his liking. It made him nauseous as he eyed the unsteady crossbow. Eyes shutting tight, the wench fired.  
In the split second the bolt flew, Tunaak began to draw a breath. The bolt took an eternity to strike its unintended target.

Tunaak curled his tail as he blinked, inhaling lightly as his tail no longer nudged Wynn away from the dueling pair. As the man slowly lowered his pistol, gazing at the two, Wynn was at Tunaak's side. The wench trembled as she hit the cobble street face first. She lost a considerable amount of blood already, the crossbow clanging on the street.  
Turning to face Wynn and the man, the Draenei took a step back, leaning heavily against the stone wall as he gasped. The bolt protruded from his chestpiece, blue blood leaking without hesitation. The man behind Wynn ducked out of sight towards the wench, and to where, Tunaak no longer cared. His vision blurred as Wynn grabbed his cheeks, the Draenei's hands trembling as he grasped the protruding part of the bolt.

Finding his ability to concentrate retarded from his wound, Tunaak fervently called upon the Light to mend his wound as he attempted pulling the bolt out. The razor sharp edges of the tip made it excruciatingly painful, slicing into new veins and occasionally ones that had just been sealed.  
Wynn spoke, but Tunaak could only stare at her as he slowly pulled out the bolt. His shock and blood loss from the wound was messing with his hearing.

The head of the bolt finally appeared from Tunaak's chestpiece. Wincing with one more surge of pain from moving the bolt, he finally removed it, letting it clack against the street. The Draenei doubled over, gasping with relief as Wynn knelt down and rested her hands on his plated shoulders.  
He should have been feeling better, but he wasn't. His dark skin paled and his breaths came in deep, quivering rasps. Tunaak winced, coughing up blood. He had missed mending something in his chest! Before he could summon the Light to aide him again, -if- he could, he was jerked from the streets by two pairs of strong arms. He was dragged over one of the canal bridges and half way through another district of the city before being deposited before the steps of the Cathedral.

Tunaak looked up to see a muscular human and a Night Elf slightly bigger than the average male of his race. Blinking, and spitting up a few more drops of blood, Tunaak rolled to his back as Wynn crouched next to his left leg. Her hands grasped at his chestpiece as a familiar voice cried his name. It wasn't Wynn who called him, and he rolled his eyes to find the source.  
The muscular human dashed up the steps to the Cathedral as her face came to view. Tunaak whispered her name as the woman's hands grasped onto his cheeks. He blinked away tears – was he crying? No, it was hers, tears flowing down her cheeks and splattering over her hands, his forehead, and his nose.

The human that helped drag him there returned with another Paladin. The Paladin leaned heavily on a silver cane, favoring his right leg. With one look at the Draenei, the Paladin sprung into action. Motioning for the pair who dragged Tunaak to take off the chestpiece, Tunaak found himself breathing slightly easier without the large plate around his chest. The relief didn't last, being dashes away as he coughed up a larger amount of blood.  
Wynn had been pushed aside by the Human, hesitating before surrendering her spot to stand a couple strides away. She couldn't take her eyes off Tunaak, tears welling up in her eyes.

The Paladin coughed, his purple hood covering all but his eyes. Tunaak couldn't take his eyes off the Human that held his cheeks. He whispered her name again as his tail slowly bobbed before relaxing on the street.  
Getting to his knees with strained effort, the Paladin eyed the Draenei. He asked where he was wounded. Wynn started for a moment, almost lost in the horrifying thought of losing Tunaak. She found the words to tell the Paladin, and he nodded wisely in response.

Reaching for a pouch of vials under his purple cape, the Paladin pulls one out. He rips the hole in Tunaak's shirt from where the bolt entered. The skin had not been fully mended, Tunaak hadn't been able to fully close it before collapsing. A few drops from the vial dripped into the wound carefully, and the Paladin replaced it in his pouch.  
The hard cobblestone underneath Tunaak felt like it melted away beneath him. As his body began to numb, he reached up with a trembling hand to touch the woman hovering above him. His eyes radiated passionately, sadness overwhelmed him as his arm dropped to the cobblestone before he could get his hand half way to touch her cheek. The comfort that the Human's warm hands offered on Tunaak's cheeks slowly melted away, ceasing with the feeling in his face.

Civardi hurtled on scene, yanking the reins on his cat to bring the riding feline to an abrupt halt. The cat growled in rebellion, but did not turn on its rider as Civardi leapt to Wynn's side. The Night Elf Rogue was in not in a good mood, eyeing his brother on the street and cursing explosively. Wynn hushed him as the Paladin gave the Rogue a "shut the hell up" glare.

Turning back to Tunaak, the Paladin explained to the party, "I'm going to heal him more properly. Don't worry, I'm experienced." He looks up at the woman over Tunaak's head, eyeing her softly, "Excuse me, miss… But this will be a little bloody."  
She looked up at the Paladin as he pulled out a knife, nodding once as another sob escaped her lips. He cut into Tunaak's chest, blood seeping out profusely. With a wave of a Light glowing hand, the blood seeping out the fresh cut lessened greatly. He cut, waved his hand, cut and waved once more.

Tunaak's primary heart pounded furiously in his chest as the Paladin found what was wrong. The bolt had narrowly missed his heart, but managed to slice one of the large veins leaving the heart. A similar slice revealed before the Paladin at the top of Tunaak's lung.  
Setting the knife to the side, the Paladin fills his hands with the Light. He takes a deep breath and opens his palms to Tunaak's chest. Light pulses from the Paladin's hands, radiating warmly and brightly. The slices in Tunaak's vein and lung slowly seal up as the Paladin begins concentrating on resealing his chest.

Blearily, Tunaak continues to eye the woman over him. There is no feeling in his body, and his hooves feel like they're itching. Pulling out one more vial, the Paladin hands it to the woman, explaining it will nullify the numbing potion he used. He cleans the knife he used on his cape and grabs his silver cane.  
Civardi steps up next to the woman, kneeling and grasping Tunaak's shoulder. The Paladin chuckles softly, struggling to rise to his feet and hobbling a few feet away. The two men that dragged Tunaak there lingered for a moment before shrugging or rolling their shoulders and leaving. So long as the Draenei was going to live, they were content to go back to their business.

"Brother…!" Civardi chokes. He pulls off the shoulder plates, setting them with the chestpiece. Tugging on the broad shoulders, Civardi manages to sit Tunaak up at a shallow angle, the Draenei's head spikes scratching against leather bound arms.  
Gently lifting up his head, the woman's fingers were carefully grasped behind Tunaak's head, careful not to scratch her hand on the sharp spikes. Wynn collapsed to her knees next to Tunaak's left leg, sniffling and eyeing Tunaak with watery eyes.

"Love, drink this…" the woman's breath quivered as she set the open end of the vial to his lips. Tunaak could not feel a thing, and was uncertain if it was even at his lips. A few small drops dripped down his throat, and he ended up coughing vehemently. Though hacked back up, the liquid had done its work, but it only barely began to start.  
The second time the vial was pressed on his lips, he could feel the touch. Though feeling still felt as far off as the sun, he managed to drink a couple drops. The vial away, Tunaak winced and breathed a huge sigh of relief. His hooves still itched like hell, but that would surely go away with the remaining numbness.  
The woman who had held his cheeks sobbed, overwhelmed to see him moving on his own. She wrapped her arms around his ribs, barely able to reach behind his shoulders, and nuzzled his neck affectionately. Her tears poured, wetting the collar of Tunaak's white shirt.

"Keda…" Tunaak sighed, wrapping his arms around the woman. They held each other for a long moment, Civardi and Wynn glancing warmly at each other.  
Keda hiccupped once and relaxed on his chest. The sound of his hearts beating comforted her, the solid triple-thumping sound from both his hearts letting her know he was still alive.

"Tuna," Civardi sternly asked, using his brother's nickname and still him up, "Who did this to you?"  
Tunaak tilted his head to eye Civardi. He looked hard into the Kaldorei's eyes, for they had grown very dark. Shadows began engulfing the brilliant amber eyes, consuming the orbs.

"Brother…?" Tunaak asked, almost gasping. He had never seen this in Civardi, and feared for him. Keda looked up, inhaling sharply as her eyes saw what Tunaak did. Wynn eyed Civardi, eyes softening. The Paladin leaning on his silver cane raised a quizzical eyebrow at Civardi, carefully observing the Kaldorei.

"Who did this to you, brother!" Civardi snarled angrily. He snapped his jaws tight, clenching a dagger at his belt with his hand that wasn't helping prop up Tunaak.

Wynn, looking in a haze, answered, "A wench from the Pig. One of the regulars, I think."  
Civardi eyes Wynn for a moment. His eyes were only shadows as he bolted from his spot to his mount. Tunaak winced as he fell back against the cobblestone, yelling after his brother. The wound he had stole nearly all of his strength, and he had so little of it regained. Tunaak reached out in Civardi's direction, yelling for him to stop. His shout was only in vain as Civardi and saber bounded around a corner.

Keda lowered her gaze from Civardi's direction, placing a gentle hand on the big guy's cheek. He hesitated and turned his head to see her. Her eyes glistened, radiating passionately as she touched his nose with hers.  
Tunaak's hearts swelled, raising a hand and finally being able to stroke her cheek with the backs of his fingers.  
Wynn choked, her hip sitting against Tunaak's leg. The Draenei's tail flicked a few times before finding an ankle to curl over.

"Wh-…" Wynn stammered, "What happened to Civardi…?" She curled up slightly, hugging her legs to her chest. Shortly, all of their attention was diverted to a frantic yell from the direction Civardi dashed off to. The wench from the Pig clamored on the scene, sprinting at full speed to the gathered party. She gasped for air, lungs aching and heart pounding frantically.  
She got within ten feet of the party at the bottom of the Cathedral's steps when Civardi bursts around the corner on foot. He gains ground quickly, a dagger poised like a scorpion tail to strike the wench!

At the Blue Recluse, Tunaak leaned on the back of his chair with his shoulder. Keda rest in his lap, curled up slightly and content in being propped up on the Draenei's chest. She seemed to glow slightly, but for what reason, Tunaak could not discern.  
Arms wrapped around Keda, he squeezed her gently in a reassuring hug. She smiled affectionately, raising her nose to nuzzle his neck as Tunaak's chin appendages splayed around her head. He chuckled softly, pulling off his already half way off jacket to cover her better.

The Blue Recluse was always a lot more calm, the vast majority of drunks preferring the Pig 'n' Whistle over the slightly more uptight tavern keepers of the Blue. For that, Tunaak preferred the Blue Recluse when he was with Keda, not being inclined to risking Keda being the attention of any drunks who would mind her.

"I'm with child, Love," Keda said softly, kissing his neck.  
Tunaak regarded her words for a moment, raising an eyebrow in response as he gently kissed the top of her head. When her words began to fully sink in, his tail flopped over his leg, curling around Keda's waist as far as it would reach. He was going to be a father…?

The tavern spun around him, and Tunaak slumped against the back of the chair, passed out.


	2. Alive: Civardi

**Author's Note:** This is from Civardi's point of view... so it's all his.

* * *

(So I was somewhat surprised when Tunaak approached me and asked to do a collaborative piece involving our characters. Needless to say I was honored and gladly said 'Hell Ya!'. and now..on to the second half...Warning..it's a bit long..but a lot happened in the rp. I hope you enjoy it))

There was yelling. Voices raised in anger and fear mixed with the sound of stomping boots and the clamor of weaponry. He guided his mount around the corner, the large feline snarling in agitation to the noise and flattening it's ears with a hiss. He could feel it's spine moving as it twitched it's tail angrily behind it and placed a gloved hand upon the beasts neck to calm it. It didn't work, but it was worth a try and reminded the cat that it still had a rider.

Civardi eyed the commotion up ahead, several people milling about with weapons drawn in front of the tavern. Most of the gathering was centered around a young woman who was on her knee's in tears, two men yelling angrily at her while others watched with tense fascination. "Seems we came at a bad time eh Sharmack?" He murmured to his mount, tapping his heels against the cats side and urging it towards the mob. He spotted the tavern's waitress standing in the doorway, her face pale and hair hanging from her ponytail in fretted strands. She looked entirely flustered as she paced the doorway, clutching her tray to her chest and tapping her fingers along the edges. She spotted Civardi and seemed to pale more, fingers releasing the tray as she stepped back in horror, not noticing as the tray fell from her grasp and bounced down the wooden steps to rattle along the street. _Well that wasn't exactly the reaction I was hoping for_ He thought as he reigned in Sharmack and slid from the saddle. Elly nervously trotted over, eyes darting around her nervously before finally coming to rest on him. She licked her lips and placed a hand on his chest, she was shaking.

"Civardi...It's Tunaak...He's been shot by a crossbow. I don't know if he's okay but Wynn and two men took him to the cathedral.." She winced as if he was about to hit her, clenching her eyes shut and pulling her hand from his armor to hold before her in fear. Apparently she remembered the last few times something had happened to his family and the ensuing slaughter that occurred afterwards. He felt a small pang of sadness that she should feel that he would take his anger out on her. Elly blinked as nothing happened, her gaze slowly slitting open and rising from the ground back up to Civardi's eyes. She stepped back in horror as she watched the glow suddenly start to dim from his gaze, finally fading completely and leaving only darkness. His jaw clenched and he spun on his heel, Grasping the horn of his saddle and mounting Sharmack in a single fluid motion. The cat growled loudly as it sensed it's rider's anger, hackles rising along it's shoulders and neck , tail lashing behind it. With a tap of his heels the mount launched forward, charging into the group gathered outside of the tavern and blasting through, leaving several individuals sprawling on the cobblestones in confusion, the others with raised fists yelling at him to watch his path.

He raced to cathedral square, urging his mount to greater speeds then he should within the city's crowded streets and alleyways, panic and anger gripping his heart as he flew past wagons and people alike, guiding his mount around corners and carts and finally over the bridge. He should have been there for Tunaak, he should have protected him. What kind of a brother was he to let Tunaak get shot because he was late to meet him. His mount rounded the corner into Cathedral square, Civardi's gaze locking on the small gathering of people loitering around a large draenei laying upon the stone steps that ran up to the arched doorways of the church itself. His cat hurtled towards them, claws suddenly raking the pavement as he yanked back on the reigns, leaping from the mount as it brought it's haunches down to stop fully, letting out a roar of protest to the rough treatment but obeying none the less. Civardi dropped the reigns and ran over to the gathering, looking down to Tunaak's bare chest and the thick blue blood that stained the tatters of his torn shirt and surrounded the puncture wound.

He erupted into a string of expletives, each curse louder and more colorful then the last until Wynn covered his mouth with a hand, a purple clad paladin, masked and clutching a silver cane, looking up to him in agitation. He recognized Aurric from a previous encounter, but immediately let the thought slip from his mind as he dropped to Tunaaks side, kneeling beside his brother and holding him down by the shoulders as the paladin spoke his intentions and immediately got to work. He watched partially as the human fed healing light into the wound, his mind slowly sinking deeper and deeper into itself, his previous anger shifting into cold calculation. With a tap of his cane Aurric rose, chuckling softly and handing Keda a small vial, giving her instructions on what to do with it before stepping back and watching the small, eclectic family. "Brother..!" He choked slightly as he removed the rest of Tunaaks armor and hefted him up into a sitting position. He waited while Tunaak and Keda shared a tender moment, the human's tears soaking her pale cheeks and bringing a redness to her eyes. She fed the draenei the potion and leaned against him, listening to the beating of his hearts as if in fear they would suddenly stop. Civardi felt the anger rising within him again and he shut it off, dropping fully into himself. He was vaguely aware of asking Tunaak what happened, who had shot him, his voiced muffled as instincts strained to take in everything around him. He was ready to hunt. The glow vanished from his eyes and he settled a black, emotionless gaze upon the four, snapping his attention to Keda as she gasped and moved away from him. "Who did this to you!" He snarled, his hand instinctively dropping to the hilt of his dagger. An ear twitched as Wynn fearfully told him of the whore who had shot Tunaak, the woman Civardi had seen earlier huddled on the ground and crying amongst a gathering of tavern patrons. He regarded her with a shark like gaze briefly before whistling for his mount.

Without another thought or word to the four he turned and leapt onto the battle cat, thumping his heels into the beasts sides and spinning the cat around. Within a heartbeat the mount was once more charging along the cobblestones, claws gripping the grime encrusted road. He didn't need to go far apparently as his target stepped around the corner, flanked by the two men who had previously been yelling at her. Her eyes were still red with tears, but she was laughing and joking with the men jovially, clearly having forgiven them for their earlier yelling. The three stopped as Civardi reigned in Sharmack and slid from the saddle, daggers appearing in his hands and an unsettling gaze washing over them. He pointed a dagger towards the woman "You" He said softly, striding purposefully towards her, lowering his dagger slightly before suddenly charging. She shrieked, backpedaling madly and stumbling between and then past her two companions. The man on the left unsheathed his sword and stepped into Civardi's charge, their blades clashing loudly, sparking from the force of the impact. Civardi brought a leg up swiftly and kicked outwards as the two pressed their blades together, his foot connecting solidly with the mans groin. With a yelp the man's eyes rolled back in his head, blade dropping slightly as he reached down to cover himself. It was all Civardi needed. His second blade came in above the sword and slashed viciously across the exposed neck, tearing easily into the skin and opening up his throat.

The woman screamed as she saw her companion slump to his knee's, crimson spilling heavily over his chest and running down to the ground. Not wanting to stick around she charged past Civardi, nearly leaping into the canal itself in an attempt to avoid his sudden slash towards her midsection. His blade connected with the fabric of her shirt, slicing a hole but effectively doing nothing much else. With a roar the second man charged Civardi, thinking him distracted by the fleeing woman. His sword screeched from it's sheath as he slashed clumsily at the elf's midsection. Civardi twisted and stepped back, the mans blade missing his stomach by a mere few inches and swinging widely off to the side. Without even blinking Civardi stepped into the wide open arch of the mans arms, the dagger of his right hand spinning around as he aimed a heavy handed pommel punch to the human's gut. The man gasped as the air left his lungs, the pommel of civardi's dagger driving upwards into his solar plexus and compacting his lungs. The man let out a strangled gurgle as Civardi's other blade punched upwards through the bottom of his jaw, into his mouth and further into his skull.

He tore his blade from the dying man's skull and spun around, charging after the fleeing woman with a snarl of frustration. He gained ground quickly, his longer stride eating the pavement hungrily and propelling him forward. She rounded the corner into Cathedral square, screaming bloody murder and charging straight for Tunaak and the others, waving her arms for help and glancing over her shoulder. She burst into terrified tears as she saw Civardi charge into view, daggers bloodied and held before him. Her glance caused her to stumble, tossing her to her knee's with a yelp, hands and legs scrabbling to pull herself upright again and get away from the murderous elf. She stumbled forward again and fell, spinning around to her back as the sound of charging footsteps caught her ears. She brought her arms up before her face in fear as Civardi leapt onto her, both daggers slipping around her arms and driving the entire length of their blades into the sides of her neck where it met her shoulders. She quaked under him, eyes wide with shock as blood started to pour from her mouth. She let out a gurgle as she slumped back onto the pavement, eyes rolling closed in death and arms dropping limply to the cobbles. Civardi rose slowly, bending only to clean his blades on the womans torn tunic, gaze staring emotionlessly down at her. His attention snapped to the startled gasps of his family, body suddenly crouching down and daggers slipping forward defensively.

They stared at him with disbelief, mouth's agape and horror written over their features. They couldnt remove their gazes from his eyes, Keda letting out a muffled yelp and slipping behind Tunaak, remembering that death like gaze and knowing what it meant for those who approached him at this time. Tunaak choked softly as he stared at his brother, his shaking body rolling to his knee's and attempting to pull himself to his hooves. He reached out a hand towards Civardi "Brother...?" He gasped before falling to his stomach with a groan, still weakened. Keda was at his side in a heartbeat, tugging him back and away "No! Don't go near him! He's lost to his shadows!" She whispered to them in a panic, bringing her hand up to stop Aurric as he stepped forward towards Civardi. The purple clad paladin looking down to Keda in confusion "Whats wrong with him? what do you mean 'lost to his shadows'?" The man growled, eyeing the body of the woman at the base of the stairs, then looking back to Civardi as he crouched near it. He took another step forward only to have Keda grab at his tabard. Keda looked over to Wynn sadly "Wynn...see if you can snap him out of it...he listened to you once before, he may again" Wynn nodded softly, chewing her bottom lip in fear and stepping tentatively forward . She inhaled deeply and steeled herself, boldly stepping up to Civardi and shoving his blades away before wrapping him into a hug. Everyone held their breath as they watched Wynn and Civardi, bodies tense.

Civardi tensed as Wynn fearlessly walked into his arms, shoving his blades to the side boldly and wrapping him up into a hug. His stillness was shortlived as he exploded into action, a leg slipping around hers, body twisting around within her grasp. His left dagger was sheathed effortlessly, freeing his hand which grabbed at Wynn's shirt at her shoulder. He hefted her up and bucked his hip, trying to toss her off of him and only succeeding in tossing both them to the pavement as she latched her hands together and onto his armor. The two landed with a crack upon the pavement, Civardi twisting as they collided and slipping from Wynn's hold, rolling to his feet with a snarl. Aurric limped forward, stepping close to the two and ignoring Keda's pleading protests. He rapped his cane loudly upon the pavement, snagging Civardi's attention and causing the elf to crouch slightly, both blades unsheathed once more and brought before him defensively. "Enough! Whats wrong with him?" The Paladin demanded angrily, eyeing Civardi in turn and watching as the elf shifted his weight easily from foot to foot yet remained where he was. Wynn rose to her feet and once more stepped towards Civardi "Stop! Leave him alone! I can get through to him, just stop distracting him!" She cried as she once more boldly stepped into his arms, wrapping herself around him and pleading with him to come back with gentle whispers into his ear.

His dagger spun in his grasp, pommel facing Wynns stomach and suddenly punching forward and up into her solar plexus roughly, blasting the wind from her lungs and causing her to slump into him with a whimper. Yet she stubbornly refused to let go. He reared back once more, aiming for another punch to the gut when he froze, Wynn, gasping for air, started to sing softly into his ear. The darkness started to recede with her song, the glow slowly returning to his eyes as she pulled him from within himself. Aurric, only seeing Civardi punch Wynn and seeing his hand drawn back again, stepped forward and threw his hand out before him, releasing a hammer of justice down upon Civardi and blasting the elf from Wynns grasp. Civardi crashed into the pavement several feet from Wynn, landing harshly on his back and cracking the back of his head on the stone ground. His daggers flew from his hands, skittering loudly across the cobbles and sliding to a stop several feet away. The world was spinning in his head, his eyes unable to focus and pain thundering through him. He groaned loudly "Oh wow...A-anyone get the number of ...that Kodo?" He croaked as he rolled to his side, clutching his chest.

He didn't hear Aurric speaking with Keda and Tunaak, or Wynn sobbing quietly nearby. Aurric departed on other business, feeling that justice had been done with Tunaaks shooter, if perhaps a bit brutally, and under the claims that Keda and Tunaak would make sure Civardi was well in hand. His ears were ringing loudly from the paladins spell, body aching and lungs gasping for air. He felt a strong hand upon his shoulder and looked up into the painfilled and worried eyes of Tunaak, the heavy Draenei kneeling painfully beside him "Brother...are you back?" He asked tentatively, almost as if he was terrified that Civardi would lunge at him and cut his throat. He gave Tunaak a confused look and slowly sat up, shaking his head to clear his mind and vision alike. "What do you mean? Where did I go?" He rasped, his gaze roving over the draenei before looking past him to Wynn curled upon the pavement, sobbing heavily and clutching her stomach. Keda hovered over the woman, concern crossing her pale features.

"Wynn?" He yelled, suddenly feeling nothing but worry and leaping to his feet. He staggered slightly but managed to make his way over to her, dropping to his knee's at her side and looking questioningly over to Keda as he scooped Wynn up into his arms, hugging her to his chest "What happened? Who hurt her?" Keda looked sadly up at Civardi and shook her head, leaning forward to wipe the ever flowing tears from Wynn's cheeks. "You did" She whispered as she sat back once more and rose to tend to Tunaak. Civardi paled and looked down at Wynn. Her eyes were filled with pain and fear. He shook slightly as he stared down at her, not wanting to believe Keda's words but unable to deny them. He didn't remember what had happened, his memory was a haze. He vaguely remembered darkness, then Wynns song pulling him back to the light and finally pain as he was struck by Aurric. What had he done to Wynn? did he stab her? ..no there was no blood...She clutched protectively to her stomach and sobbed once more, curling into his chest and burrowing her face in his armor. He must have hit her in the stomach..and hard from the looks of it.

"Oh..Wynn...I-I'm sorry..oh gods what have I done?" He choked, holding her tightly and offering a sob of his own. Hot tears streamed down his cheeks as he listened to Wynns pain filled sniffles, feeling her shaking within his arms yet refusing to let him go. "We'll get you a priest...or..someone to heal you" he murmured into her ears only to find her stiffening and sitting up with a terrified look "No!" She yelled "No I'm fine!...no Priests..not now..they cant...no I'm fine love" She stammered, clutching protectively at her abdomen once more and folding up in his lap. They three of them stared at Wynn in confusion, watching as she began to sob once more. Civardi looked up at them pleadingly, not understanding what was wrong and thinking he had hurt her worse then he had thought. She turned and regarded Keda for a moment before burrying her face back into Civardi's chest, crying uncontrollably. Keda blinked at the look, the color draining from her face as realization dawned on her. She leapt to her feet "Oh...Wynn...Gods I'll get a priest!" she gasped and dashed into the cathedral, skirts fluttering around her ankles. Civardi grew only more confused, looking to Tunaak for an explanation and receiving only a confused shrug in response.

Keda returned in a panic, the priest that had healed Civardi when he had been shot stumbling down the stairs behind her, both moving as fast as they could. The priest dropped before Wynn, motioning to Civardi to turn Wynn around on his lap to face her fully. He complied and watched as the priest placed a glowing hand upon Wynn's abdomen, closing her eyes and whispering several prayers. The light from her hand increased, forcing Civardi to avert his gaze with a hiss of pain, hiding his face in Wynns hair and praying that everything was okay. He felt Wynn shift uncomfortably, stiffing another sob as the priest worked. She leaned back and looked up to him, eyes red and puffy from crying "I didn't want to tell you this way" She croaked, tears slipping down her cheeks once more. He looked at her in utter confusion, causing her to choke out another whimper. The priest stopped her healing and looked up at the two, frowning irritably "I need you to relax and stay still or I wont be able to save it"

"It?" Civardi blinked, eyeing the priest before looking down to Wynn "It?" he asked again, watching as her features contorted once more into a sob "I'm pregnant Civardi" she stammered, cheeks glistening softly in the afternoon light. All color left his face as he realized what was truly going on. understanding why she was sobbing, the terrified look in her eyes as she held her belly protectively. "P-pregnant?" He blurted out, gasping and finding it hard to breath. He stared down at Wynn and did the only intelligent thing he could think of. He passed out.

Gentle hands caressed his cheek, the feel of a warm kiss gracing his forehead. He moaned and forced his eyes to open, blinking them closed swiftly as the light assaulted him. He covered his face with a forearm and blinked once more, his eyes adjusting to the brightness and looking blearily up into Wynns beautiful face. She smiled sweetly at him. To him she seemed to glow, like an angel. He sat up and shook his head softly, memories washing back to him in a flood and causing him to let out a strangled gasp. He choked back a sob and looked to Wynn, a hand falling to her stomach fearfully "I-is...are you okay..is it okay?" He locked gazes with her, eyes full of worry and his breath stuck in his chest. She smiled, nodding her head gently and wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug "Everything is fine now...And I'm told it's a boy" She whispered lovingly into his ear. All tension fled from his body and he slumped into her arms, wrapping his own around her and pulling her into him, tears falling unhindered down his cheeks as he nuzzled his head into her neck.

"I'm so sorry" He whispered into her neck "Oh Wynn I'm so sorry" He held her tightly, scared to let her go and wanting only to feel her against him. Reassuring him still that things were going to be okay. She shushed him quietly and ran her fingers through his hair "Shh angel...It's okay...it's okay now. The priest's healing worked..though she's exhausted...The baby is fine...your going to be a dad" She chuckled, the sound like music to his ears. He held her within his arms, rolling her words around in his head and suddenly smiling proudly "I'm going to be a dad...


End file.
